Farmers relying on weather information to make critical business decisions, are sceptical an independent review of the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) will restore their trust.
The new BOM chief executive Stuart Minchin announced the independent review, to examine whether the nation’s weather forecaster is trusted and meeting the needs of Australians.
It follows 12 months of mounting scrutiny after a flawed $96.5 million website revamp last year which sparked a major backlash, and the departure of acting BOM chief executive Peter Stone.
The review will be led by former Murray-Darling Basin Authority chief executive Phillip Glyde, who will be joined on the inquiry by an expert panel with Department of Climate Change, Energy Environment and Water deputy secretary Sean Sullivan and public policy adviser, Raj Nahna.
Environment Minister, Murray Watt told the Victorian Country Hour quality, reliable advice from the BOM is important for all Australians.
“(Ensuring the BOM) meets the needs of all Australians, no matter where they live, no matter what industry they’re from,” he said.
The review does not specifically mention criticism of the BOM’s new website, but Senator Watt expects that will form part of the review.
“The terms of reference certainly refer to the effectiveness of public communications and how responsive the BOM is to stakeholder needs, so I think it would be natural that issues around the website will come up.”
Senator Watt acknowledged ongoing concerns about the BOM among regional Australians.
“People in the bush aren’t feeling adequately serviced and again, that’s something that this review will be looking at closely,” he said.
Grain Producers South Australia (GPSA) chief executive Brad Perry said the industry had lost trust in the bureau and the investigation was long “overdue”.
He said farmers rely on accurate, accessible weather information to inform their critical and expensive business decisions such as spraying, fertilising, planting and harvesting cops.
“It’s something we have been calling for, for some time (and) we need to make sure agriculture is a key focus of the review,” he said.
A recent GPSA survey found trust in the BOM had dropped among grain growers in the state, particularly when it came to long-term forecasts.
“The review needs to look at (long-term forecasts) in depth and find out what’s changed,” Mr Perry said.
He said growers want weather information to be easy to read and transparent, and the new BOM website needed to be part of the review.
“They have to look at the website, its functionality, the cost of that … and gaps in the system (such as) the Doppler radar,”
Mr Perry said.
Meanwhile in far west New South Wales at Wyndham station, sheep farmer Angus Whyte said the BOM still had a really important role in his industry, but also the broader community.
He hopes the inquiry will help the agency improve.
“I expect a lot out of a leading agency like the BOM because most other forecasters and (weather) apps are based on data from the BOM.
“I expect them to be a responsible agency and acknowledge they have an important role to play,” he said.
Mr Whyte hoped the review would examine the way the BOM communicates its changes, such as the website or the way it forecasts lightning threats and rain.
“Making sure the change is not too significant, so people can keep up, and help them through the change,” he said.
Senator Watt would not confirm the cost of the review but said it would “be funded within the BOM’s existing resources”, and would be less than the $96.5 million spent on the new website.
“Absolutely, I can guarantee you that,” Senator Watt said.
BOM chief executive Stuart Minchin said he understood BOM’s forecasts and weather data “underpin essential services, economic activity, environmental health and community wellbeing, for all Australians every day, so it’s important we get it right”.
“This review will help the Bureau of Meteorology better understand current and future customer needs and ensure our strategy and services are squarely focused on the things that are important to the Australian community, our customers and partners,” he said.
The BOM review panel is expected to report back by March 31, 2027.
This article by Emma Field and Justine Longmore was originally published by ABC online.